Chandigarh, March 5 Four unidentified men allegedly took a jeweler's family hostage at gunpoint and made off with cash and jewelry worth around Rs 3 crore in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Thursday, police said.
Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma criticized the AAP government over the incident, calling it a "frightening reflection of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state."
An FIR has been registered, and efforts are on to trace the accused, police said.
According to the family, the robbers, dressed in Nihang attire (Sikhs wearing loose blue tops), entered their house around 8:15 am, pretending to inquire whether they had posted any objectionable videos on social media.
Once inside, one of them pulled out a weapon and asked the family to hand over the cash and valuables kept in the house, they said, adding that all the assailants were armed.
The robbers tied the hands and legs of the family members, including two children, and gagged them before taking away cash worth Rs 30-40 lakh and gold and silver jewelry from the lockers after taking their keys.
The total value of the stolen items is estimated at around Rs 3 crore, a family member said.
The robbers stayed in the house for around an hour before fleeing, police said.
Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police Aditya visited the spot and met the family.
"We have spoken to the family and assured them that the robbers will be apprehended soon," the SSP said, adding that an investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, the Punjab BJP working president said, criminals held a jeweler's family hostage, tied their hands and feet with ropes, and gagged them before executing the robbery at gunpoint with dangerous weapons.
"Not only did the robbers take away gold and silver, but they also uprooted the CCTV cameras to destroy evidence," he said.
He met the family and assured them of all support. Sharma was accompanied by State General Secretary Rakesh Rathore, State Secretary Suraj Bhardwaj, Gurdaspur District President Baghel Singh Bahian, Rajinder Bitta, Shivbir Rajan and other leaders.
"Such a horrifying incident has created an atmosphere of fear in the entire area and has also caused deep concern among the trading community," he added.
"This is not merely a robbery but a major proof of the failure of law and order in Punjab. The morale of criminals has risen to such an extent that they are committing robberies worth crores without any fear of the law," he said.
Under the "Badlav" government of Bhagwant Mann, traders and the common people of Punjab are feeling insecure, Sharma said, adding that instead of ensuring the safety of citizens, the government is busy with PR and advertisements.